Hands up (and clothes off): Cops in Mexico 'force young woman to strip for her release'

A group of leering police officers allegedly forced a young woman they had detained to strip in front of them - in exchange for her release.

Now all 15 of them - including three women - have been suspended after an explicit video emerged showing at least one uniformed officer groping the woman as she performs a lap dance while the others cheer and chant.

The woman had been arrested along with a male friend for allegedly possessing stolen bank cards and cheques in the Mexican border city of Tijuana.

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Lewd treatment: Police officers in the border city of Tijuana allegedly forced this woman to strip for her freedom after she was arrested in March

According to El Mexicano, the newspaper which released the five-minute video, the police officers promised they would release both suspects if the woman stripped.

At first the woman, whose face is blurred in the video, stands on a table and reluctantly begins to take some of her clothes off, before grabbing her coat and apparently trying to end the dance.

But then she changes her mind, drops to her knees and begins to circle round slowly before lifting up her dress and pulling down her tights to reveal her underwear as the officers chant and shout.

Later on in the video she takes off her dress completely, before removing her bra and jumping on top of one of the officers.

Explicit show: At first the woman stands up on a table and seems reluctant to strip, before bending over and lifting up her skirt as the officers cheer

Groped: The woman takes off her dress and dances on top of one of the uniformed officers, with her bra still in her hand

Finally she performs a lap dance for another officer, who repeatedly gropes her breasts while the others laugh, joke and look on.

The tape was made on March 2, but only came to light when El Mexicano released it on its website on Monday.

Shortly afterwards after the town's mayor, Carlos Bustamente, announced he was suspending all 15 officers allegedly involved for 'immoral behavior and loss of confidence'.

They include Victor Manuel de la Cruz Candelaria, head of La Presa Rural district.

Shocking video: In the tape, the woman is seen taking her dress off, left, as 15 uniformed police officers look on, cheering and chanting

Mr Candelaria denies any role in the incident, and said the woman was not forced to strip and instead performed the routine of her own free will.

He told the newspaper: 'The judge had already ordered her release since she didn't directly participate in the crime. She's a woman of the night.'

But at a press conference this week, Mr Bustamente said it is unlikely any of them will keep their jobs.

He said: 'They've already been suspended and we're looking to fire them
permanently. What these people have done lacks morals.'